Web Desk: US federal authorities have charged 37 people and arrested 24 suspects across the United States, Canada and Europe in a sweeping crackdown on three India-based organised crime groups, including the Bishnoi gang.
The indictments allege the groups were involved in targeted killings, extortion, drug trafficking and other criminal activities spanning multiple countries, including the 2023 killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.
Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles said the arrests followed a years-long investigation into criminal networks accused of operating across international borders.
Authorities unsealed three indictments charging a total of 37 defendants.
“Transnational criminal gangs who spread fear, drugs, and violence will face the full force of justice and the weight of the federal government,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement.
“There is no safe harbor for these thugs,” he added.
Among those charged are Lawrence Bishnoi, 33, and Satinderjeet “Goldy Brar” Singh, 32, both from India’s Punjab state. Prosecutors allege the two men ordered the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, identified in court documents as “HSN.”
Nijjar, a prominent advocate of an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan, was shot dead outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023. Investigators said two masked gunmen opened fire on him while he sat in his vehicle.
Brar remains a fugitive, while Bishnoi has been in custody in India since 2015.
The killing triggered a major diplomatic dispute between Canada and India after Canadian authorities alleged Indian government involvement, an accusation New Delhi has repeatedly denied.
Canada designated the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity last year, giving authorities the power to freeze its assets and seize property linked to the group.
Prosecutors also accused members of the Bishnoi gang of targeting religious and political figures through intimidation and violence before demanding large sums of money from victims.
According to court filings, Bishnoi, Brar and several co-defendants allegedly attempted to extort a victim in California, demanding a payment of $5 million between December and January.
Authorities said the investigation also led to the seizure of approximately 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) of cocaine, one kilogram of heroin, around $40,000 in cash and a dozen firearms.
The operation involved multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Los Angeles Police Department, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and US Customs and Border Protection.
Meanwhile, four Indian nationals charged in Canada in connection with Nijjar’s killing remain in custody and are awaiting trial. The latest US indictments significantly expand the scope of the investigation into the alleged activities of the Bishnoi-led criminal network across North America and beyond.
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